Situation During the hearing of a valid protest, boat A, who might have been involved in the incident, is neither the protestor nor a protestee. The protest committee concluded that boat A broke a rule but was exonerated under another rule.
Question 1 Did the protest committee act properly?
Answer 1Yes. It is at the protest committee’s discretion to protest a boat that may have broken a rule. As the protest committee concluded that boat A would be exonerated, it was not necessary to protest her.
Question 2Is boat A a party to the hearing?
Answer 2No. Boat A is neither the protestor nor a protestee. See the definition
Party.
Question 3Would the answer to question 1 be different if the protest committee penalized boat A?
Answer 3Yes.If the protest committee believed that boat A broke a rule and would not be exonerated, the protest committee would be required to follow the procedure in rule
61.1(c) before it would have been possible to penalize her.